


On the Surface

by reyescott



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pining, Sharing Body Heat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-11-13 21:55:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11194227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reyescott/pseuds/reyescott
Summary: Scott's not expecting much besides survivability in Andromeda. He joins Sara's team, he avoids going planetside, he falls in love.Love's good--healing in ways he didn't expect. Liam works well at bringing him out of his shell, at reminding him what it's like to be human, to take risks and be unafraid.It's just unfortunate Sara met him first.





	On the Surface

**Author's Note:**

> spoilers if you're on the fence about reading any amount of fryder/liam--he and sara don't even kiss in anything I wrote

\--

The first time is when Liam turns to Scott and smiles, wide and open and free, and it's nothing like a bubble of emotion that sends him flying, but like a steady hand to his back keeping him grounded.

I love him, Scott thinks, and that's all there is--there's no crushing realization, there's no nagging voice in the back of his mind telling him Liam's never going to return it. It's good, and fresh, and pure--and Scott revels in it, lets it wash over him and better him. Liam's a good man to love. Scott's lucky to be in his line of sight at all.

He nudges Liam with his shoulder, shakes his head. Across the room, Sara blows Liam a kiss.

Even that's not enough to dampen how he feels.

\-----

The thing is, Sara's in love with him, too. Sara took down the Archon with him--Liam fought by her side and loves her, and there is no way, not for a second, that Scott can even think of coming between them.

Even though, when Scott walks into Sara's quarters on the Tempest and sees Liam lying across her lap, Sara's fingers in his hair, he wishes he was his sister instead.

"Suvi says we're coming up on the Remnant ruins," Scott says, while he tries to pry his eyes away from where Sara's hand rests in Liam's hair.

It's not jealousy, not usually. Scott just finds himself, in times like this, wanting so much he can hardly think.

The feeling will dissipate, in time. Ideally.

"Ooh!" she says, carefully moving from the couch to her feet. "Peebee's ready to hit the ground, right?"

Scott shrugs. "Dunno. Didn't see her on the way here."

Sara claps a hand on Scott's shoulder, says, "I'll go find her. Either of you interested in Remnant ruins?"

Scott grimaces--Remnant tech is about as exciting to him as prothean tech was back home--a technological and anthropological wonder, sure, but boring nonetheless. "No, thanks."

Her voice pitches low, and she says, "Gotta get back in the field sometime."

Scott scowls. He hasn't been planetside in Andromeda since the Archon, since Meridian, and it's stupid, but he's scared. Sara set up a shooting range on the Tempest when it upgraded, so his skills are as sharp as they can be, but...

No one gets it. Scott's not sure he does, either. "Leave it, Sara."

She pulls back. "Okay, okay. Liam?"

"Think I'll say here and nap," he says, stretching his arms above his head. His shirt rides up; Scott follows the hem as it exposes Liam's stomach. "Unless you need me?"

Sara waves it away. "I'll just ask Vetra."

Scott thinks about turning away, heading back out to the range--when Liam sits up and says, "You haven't been planetside yet?"

There's no judgement in Liam's voice, so Scott shakes his head.

Liam rolls his shoulders. "I get it. Lots to process."

"I want to," he says, not sure that he should sit down or keep standing. If this is going to be a conversation, or a one-off. Knowing Liam… "It's just... every time Sara asks, I get--flashbacks."

"Shit. Sorry. You talking to Lexi about that? She's good at that sort of thing."

He agrees. Scott’s stopped by twice when he couldn't get his hands to stop shaking. "Yeah, she is."

Liam laughs. "Man, you're nothing like your sister."

Scott raises an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I mean, you’re quite. Can't get that woman to quiet down for two minutes." He smiles, shakes his head. It's all done with a fondness Scott wishes were for him. He's happy for Sara, and maybe that's where this is coming from--a jealousy that's not because of Liam, but the happiness they share.

Swallowing, Scott looks down at his arms, crossed over his chest. "Used to be like her. A lot changed.” There’s no giveaway in his voice—at least, not that he can tell. He’s gotten better at hiding that.

He doesn't realize Liam stood up until he's standing in front of him, arms wide for a hug. Scott's surprised by how easy it is, the openness and ease in which he can accept. Liam's warm, his skin soft, and he squeezes his arms around Scott’s back--and Scott falls in love a little more.

\-----

Jaal's quick to pick up on it. "You hide your affection," he says, confused, when he watches Scott watch Liam. "Why?"

Scott laughs, and scratches his ear, embarrassed. "We're not as... open as the angara about this sort of thing. If I say anything, it could hurt Sara. It could hurt Liam.” It could hurt me, he doesn’t say, because he’s not what matters, now.

Nodding, Jaal looks at the two of them, who are standing close together, across the floor of engineering. "I see. Angara would suggest the secrecy hurts everyone."

Sometimes, Scott wishes humanity was better about it. "Me telling them would hurt everyone." If they were more like the angara... He sighs, turns away from Sara and Liam and watches Jaal for a second. "Your last partner left you for your brother, right?"

"She did. Some pairs are simply meant to be more than others."

"Were you hurt by it?"

Jaal seems to consider his answer, looks between Sara and Liam and Scott. "Of course. But it wasn't a bad hurt. Everyone was much happier, after."

Scott can't imagine. He's thinking, instead, of either of them finding out. Scott would be better off leaving the Tempest. He can imagine Sara’s hurt look—the expression on Liam’s face. "In my experience, anyway" Scott says, ducking his head to look back down at the gun he's inspecting, "telling her would make matters worse."

"And telling him?"

That's where love starts to hurt.

\-----

"Do you trust me?" Liam had asked, while they were docked on Havarl so Sara could talk with Resistance leaders about efforts in the far edges of the cluster. Scott hadn't hesitated to say yes to him--didn't even think twice--and felt his stomach lurch with pleasure when Liam had smiled in return.

Not that he's pleased about the blindfold now they're on Eos, about the trip in the Nomad, about the shaking threatening to overtake his whole body.

But Liam's got a grip on Scott's arm, light and comforting, and his thumb brushes over the bared skin at his wrist. Thrilling, distracting, and Scott has to contain the absolute fondness for the man in the seat next to him. "All right," Liam says, "I'm gonna get you out of the Nomad. You okay here?"

Scott nods. No armor, no guns, just Liam and Scott and the Nomad. But it’s different. Scott can’t place his finger on it just yet.

The door hisses when Liam opens it, and his hand rests back on Scott's to help him out.

It's all weirdly romantic. Scott has to bite his tongue to keep from flirting.

"All right. Blindfold off--" And Scott squints at the light.

Eos is--beautiful. The vault's been working well. The sand that covered the planet in the old vids is gone, nothing but lush and green left in its stead. There's a lake, so clear the bottom's visible from where they stand on the shore. "It's beautiful," he says. It reminds him of Earth, of home, and something tightens in his chest at the thought.

"They're not all like this," Liam says, "but most are. All thanks to your sister."

Scott nods, throat scratchy already. "Liam..."

"Almost cried when I saw them. Kind of overwhelming."

He chokes out a laugh. "Only almost?"

"I just thought, maybe if you could see the beauty, it'd be easier to get out planetside. Kett can still be terrifying, and the wildlife puts up a hell of a fight, but--"

"Liam," Scott interrupts, turning to him with a smile and tears in his eyes, "thank you."

It's not without danger, Scott knows that. But it's easy to think, between the two of them, they're more safe than anywhere else. Liam grins, knocks his shoulder, and nods to the water. "Up for a swim?"

The words almost fall from Scott's throat, then, tight with honesty, but he pulls them back, thinks about his sister, and thinks all of this suddenly feels like a lie. With a sudden clarity, he understands why Jaal believes the secrecy hurts more.

\-----

Sara approaches him before he gets the chance to tell her. "Little brother," she says, perching against the Nomad while Scott tinkers with one of its wheels. "How are you?"

"Fine," he says. He's been avoiding her; no way that's not what this is about. He hasn’t touched down on a planet once in the week since Liam brought him to Eos. "How are you?"

"Fine." She's wearing a jacket, the scarf Scott got her for their last birthday on Earth. Warm, cozy, patterned in browns that match their eyes. He’d thought about getting one for himself. "Anything you want to tell me?"

He thinks, immediately, I'm in love with your boyfriend, but shakes his head. “No." He peers back at the bent, burnt edges of the axel, and squints.

She taps her foot on the floor. Scott's achingly aware of every tap, of everyone in cargo that cab hear--Jaal, across the room, Vetra and Gil up top. Sara's loud, doesn't hold back emotion. "Liam told me he got you planetside."

His stomach knots up, and he sets the wrench down, carefully. He doesn’t say anything, and that’s his first mistake. Sara’s immediately pissed, the coolness Scott had felt from her seconds ago turning red hot and angry. "You have to be fucking kidding me," she says, but she's keeping her voice quiet. Scott wants to thank her for that.

"You wouldn't even go planetside for me! And we could use you--Scott," she says, closing her eyes. She inhales slowly. Scott's almost more terrified of her calm than he is her angry. "Please, please tell me this doesn't mean what I think it means."

Scott looks down at his hands. Guilt floods through him, and he says, "I didn't want you to know."

"We tell each other everything!" Her voice is a loud hiss, and it grabs Jaal's attention. He looks up, and catches Scott's eyes--starts for them, concern crossing his face, before Scott shakes his head. Jaal backs off, and Scott sighs, slowly, and waits for Sara to find her words. "Does he know?"

Scott's almost hurt. "Why would I tell him if I didn't tell you?" He's not an asshole. His sister's happiness means more than that.

She closes her eyes--doesn't say the words 'I'm sorry,' but Scott knows she feels the sting as badly as he does. "We're... we aren't going to be a problem, are we?"

A smile, fragile as Scott's ever had, flitters across his face. "It's just a crush," he says, "it'll pass."

He doesn't sound convinced himself.

\-----

Time passes. Jaal brings Scott to Aya to partake in the festivities of a heartbroken man, which are remarkably similar to those on Earth, even if the alcohol is a little different.

Scott downs the first glass and tries not to focus on how much this hurts. How much better it felt when it was a secret he kept inside--when it was just his own, and he could breathe in without feeling the crushing weight of love on his chest.

Someone slaps a hand on Scott's shoulders that isn't Jaal, and he lifts his head to look--Liam, eyes as wide as the smile on his face. "Whoa," he says. "You guys all right?"

Jaal hums. "In time."

Liam's expression immediately changes, concerned now, and he leans against the bar next to Scott. There's enough of a buzz in his veins that Scott wants to reach out. He remembers how warm Liam feels under his fingers, how solid he is--how everything about him feels soft, strong, capable, gentle all at once, and love twists like a knife in his gut. "Everything okay?"

He smiles, tightly. "Yep."

Scott's not sure what Jaal's playing at when he says, "Scott is nursing a broken heart."

Liam snorts--rubs his hand along Scott's shoulders in sympathy. "Taking a page out of humanity's book to heal, huh?"

"I thought this was something angaran?" He glances Jaal's way, suddenly feeling mildly betrayed on top of everything. "Come on, seriously?"

"Angaran prefer a direct approach," Jaal says, and Scott should have known better, but he's not being judgemental. "I believe you are avoiding the situation.”

"Ouch," Liam says, in Scott's silence. "Who's the lucky person?"

"Lucky?" Scott asks, confused. "In what way is he lucky?"

It slips out--but Liam doesn't seem surprised, or bothered. If anything, he's pleased—though Scott’s not naive enough to hope for why. He’s had no indications that Liam might be interested. None that he can pick up on, anyway. "Got your affections, didn't he?" Scott laughs. "What?"

"I'm pretty sure he's not interested."

"Oh." He pauses. “That sucks.” His hand's still rubbing Scott's shoulders. In the silence, Scott allows himself to think, I love him, fuck I love him.

And he does. He wishes he could turn it off, could find someone to fuck and get Liam out of his system, but he can't. It hurts and feels incredible all at once—and the hurt’s not a welcome addition to the way that he felt just weeks back. He wants Liam more than he's wanted a lot of things--including being an Alliance soldier, and Scott grew up dreaming of that day.

"Let me help," he says, and Scott's helpless to disagree.

\-----

"And what about this," Scott says, staring over the cliffs on Eos with a shaky stomach, "is supposed to help me move on?" He's been planetside a few times with Sara, now, but every new place, everything that looks sketchy or off still has him shaking.

He'd be laughed out of the Alliance, now.

"It's all about perspective!" Liam says, checking the latches on Scott's armor. "You're gonna remember that thrill of being alive, and suddenly you're gonna forget about him."

Scott stares him down, uncertain. Being in love with him isn’t as easy as it was, but Scott's not so keen to write him off. There's still a lightness to the feelings Liam gives him, underneath it all.

It's still comfortable, and beautiful. Scott just needs to get back there.

"We can go together," Liam says, hitching the rope to both of them, tightening it on both their armor so it knots well and won’t unravel. "Know how you feel about heights."

Scott swallows. He and Liam are pressed together, now, closer than they've ever been. Scott can smell his shampoo, the mint on his breath. He swallows, looks down to where the rope connects them. "This is safe?"

"Absolutely. Done it with Sara a few times."

"Right." It's not disappointment, but... It's something like it. Jealousy, then guilt for feeling that way. Of course he’s done it with Sara. "You ready?"

No, he thinks, but nods anyway. Liam says, "Count of three, and we jump off."

Scott's heart's stuck in his throat, so he just nods, counts down, and follows Liam off the bridge.

He howls with joy as he goes, though, while Scott scrabbles for purchase on Liam's armor, eyes closed tightly while they plummet towards the ground, back up, down--Liam's laugh loud in his ears, his grip on Scott just as tight as the way Scott’s throat feels.

"Do you trust me?" Liam had asked. Scott thinks, With my life.

It's not long until they're hanging in the balance, swaying slightly in the wind. The rope held, and all that's left is the climb up--or down.

Liam's eyes are shining when Scott opens his, a grin spread wide across his face. "Not so bad, is it?"

Scott didn't think this through. He glances to Liam's lips, swallows, shakes his head. "No. How long do we stay here?"

"As long as you like."

Double edged sword, Scott thinks, and makes the mistake of looking anywhere but Liam's face. He grips his armor harder, and thinks, Anytime, now.

He closes his eyes.

Slowly, they start moving. Liam's letting out rope on the latch around his waist. He's silent until Scott's feet hit the ground. "Whoa," he says, holding Scott up as his legs threaten to drop him. "Kind of a rush, huh?"

"That's one word for it." Scott can't decide if he needs to get away, or get closer. Everything in him says he needs to leave, before he does something stupid, but Liam's so close, and comforting, and Scott wants--

He clears his throat. "Where'd you learn how to do that?"

"Earth. Modified for Andromeda. Used to go all the time."

"Sounds terrifying."

Liam shrugs. "So's everything else." They're still not quite embracing, Liam's hands on Scott's shoulders and Scott’s hovering at Liam’s hips. "Feel any better?"

He does--the guilt, the weight of his own emotion feels lighter--like Liam had said, the thrill knocked everything bad away. "Yeah. Think you're right on that whole perspective thing."

Another smile. Liam still doesn't pull away, which is weird on it's own, but Scott's got a bad decision at the front of his mind, sitting on the tip of his tongue, and he's not sure if he wants to stop it.

"I'm in love with you," Scott says, and Liam's expression freezes--caught between surprise and the amusement of the smile before. "I know it's not--I'm fine with it being the way it is, and you and Sara are great together, just--"

"Sara," Liam says, sounding far away.

"Right," Scott says, relieved that he gets it. "I wasn't even going to say anything, but Jaal was convinced meeting it head-on was the right way to do it, and--"

"Sara!" Liam calls, and understanding slams into Scott like the way he'd expected to slam into the ground. "Over here!"

Scott pulls away, rubbing a gloved hand over his face, and waiting for Eos to swallow him whole. "Hey," Sara says. She's suited up herself. "Vetra's got some contacts we were gonna go check on. You wanna come with?"

"Yeah," Liam says. To his credit, he doesn't look desperate to leave--confused, maybe, or lost.

Scott's stomach turns. Sara looks at him, expecting, and raises an eyebrow. "I think I'm gonna be sick," he says, and bends to throw up on the swaying waves of green grass beneath his feet.

\-----

"You know," Suvi says that afternoon, while she and Peebee are inspecting rocks in the escape pods, Scott sitting against the wall behind them, "I never would have dreamt of the kinds of things we see here back home. It's like everything's out of some story, fantasy come to life."

"I know what you mean. I keep expecting to be let down, but there's a never ending supply of unknowns out here."

"Never been more thankful to be a scientist," Suvi says. She rests her hands on the edge of the table.

Scott lets the rest of their conversation filter through his ears, his mind still back on Eos, on the blanked, confused expression Liam wore after Scott opened his mouth.

Idiot, he thinks. He never should have said anything at all.

"You want in on this?" Peebee asks, waving a hand in front of Scott's face. "Are you even paying attention?"

"What? Sorry."

Peebee rolls her eyes. "Honestly. Go space out somewhere else."

Suvi ignores her. "Something on your mind?"

"Made a mistake," he says, wondering how much Liam's told Sara. Wondering how long he can keep serving on the Tempest before he has to run back to the Nexus.

"Welcome to the club," Peebee says. "Your sister'll forgive you. She's good at that."

"Dunno," Scott says. "Kind of fucked up this time."

Peebee launches into a story of her own, but Suvi keeps watches Scott with an expression that says she knows. Scott's not surprised when she finds him later.

"You told him?" she asks, finding Scott alone in the kitchen. She closes the door without needing to be asked, and takes a seat opposite him. "I take it it didn't go well."

"Who told you?"

She shrugs. "I didn't need to be told, Scott. Personal experience gives you a nose for this sort of thing."

"Please don't tell me you're in love with my sister," Scott says, but he's smiling. "That'd be wildly poetically pathetic."

She smiles, rests her head on her hand. "I'm not, but I see why people would be. She's an incredible woman."

Scott sighs. "She is."

"You can't help who you fall in love with, you know." Suvi reaches her hand across the table. "It's just one of those things."

He takes it, feels the tightness in his entire body loosen when she squeezes his hand. "It'd be nice if I could shut it off, though."

Suvi laughs. "Pretty sure your sense of recklessness runs in the family."

"Scott," SAM says, "you are needed in the cargo bay." No inflection, no nonsense.

SAM's expressed interest, in the last couple weeks, of learning from Scott's experience with unrequited love. Scott's used him as a sounding board more than he'd like to admit--an impartial third party with a well of knowledge, capable of perspective Scott isn't.

Fantastic. "Sara and Liam must be back," he says, standing up and letting go of Suvi's hand. "This'll be tough."

She shakes her head. "I wouldn't be so sure, Scott. Don't sell your friends short."

Still. Maybe Liam's not going to hit him--wonderfully an uncommon reaction, Scott’s noted—and maybe he's not going to act any differently, but Scott knows unrequited love. There's a pitying component to the relationship, after that. Scott's not interested.

If that means leaving the Tempest and moving on, then...

It'd work as long as Sara and Liam don't get married, Scott thinks for one terrified second, imagining life with Liam as his brother-in-law.

Better if they go their separate ways, he thinks.

Vetra nods as they pass in the hallway, an armload of stuff in her arms. "Good haul?"

"Believe it or not," she says, "this is all for Jaal. He's got a taste for the peculiar."

Scott wants to talk to her, instead. If she knows anything's off, she doesn't let on. But SAM tells him again that Sara wants to see him, and Scott's not so stupid he'll risk the wrath of his sister.

The cargo bay's cleared except for her and Liam--neither one of them look particularly sad, but there's a tension Scott's not used to between them.

Because of him. He sighs, walks towards them, already preparing to be ready to leave in his head.

He and Sara used to be close. Scott doesn't know what it is--Andromeda, Sara being Pathfinder, Liam--that's ripping them apart.

Liam nods in Scott's direction, carrying his chestplate in hand as he leaves. There's a warmth, there, still. Nothing like it used to be, but still something familiar.

In spite of himself, Scott relaxes. Remembers what Liam had said before everything went to shit--"It's all about perspective."

"So," Sara says, "Liam and I are done."

"What? Sara--"

She waves a hand in the air, quieting him. "Don't freak out, it was a mutual thing. And don't go getting any ideas into your head that it's your fault, either."

But it was--is--isn't it? How long would they have been together if Scott didn't open his mouth. "I'm sorry," he says. "I didn't mean for--"

"What did I say? It's not your fault. Things have been hard since after the Archon anyway. He's kind of been hinting he wants to, you know, settle down, get a house, and--you know me!" She shrugs. "Not really the settling down kind of type. Too much cool stuff out there, and it's not like they're not gonna need a Pathfinder."

But it still feels like he's the last straw, in this case. Like Scott's the reason it all got too much. Sara's never been in love with one of Scott's partners before--lucky in that way--and doesn't understand. Can't understand.

"Is he leaving?" Scott asks, because he wants to ask, Should I?

Sara makes a face. "No? Why would he leave?"

Scott can think of a million reasons. Exes working together never works. It's not just exes--if either of them hold grudges against each other, or him, because Scott said something. Close quarters, what if emotions change.

"I need him," she says. "Simple as that."

Right. Scott nods, slow, and then, "So where does that leave us?"

"Us?" Sara almost sounds confused. "You're my brother. I need you, too."

"So... not sending me back to the Nexus."

She eyes him, so long Scott wonders, exactly, what she's looking for. "You kept it from me," she says, sounding hurt.

But this isn't about her--this is about Scott, and knowing when to hide himself. It's not like Sara can't understand--she came out to Scott when she had her first crush on a girl at eleven--but she's putting them above Scott's intrinsic need to defend himself.

"If it would have been anyone else," he says, "or not as strong, I would have told you."

"Yeah. I guess so."

"Not mad it was your boyfriend?" he asks, because Liam--fuck, he loves Liam, wants nothing more than to have him in his life, damn the circumstances, but Sara is important. It's more than just a sibling bond. Scott's not naive enough to think Sara doesn't feel the same way.

"No," she says. She punches Scott on the shoulder lightly. "Just... wish you would have felt like you could tell me. I hate thinking you were suffering in silence."

"It's not all bad," he says. "Liam's a good guy to be in love with. Or he was, when it was my secret." Scott's never been the type to shout love from the rooftops, but when it's not love that can be returned--best enjoyed alone. No risk of unnecessary heartbreak.

"Well," she says, as she pulls him into a hug, "you should know, Liam's the type to tell everyone."

Good thing Scott won't have to worry about that, then.

\-----

Things settle back to the way they were. Scott holds his love inside, something secret even if everyone on the Tempest knows. Hides it--not ashamed, but where will saying it get him? There was no soft let-down from Liam, nothing to indicate Scott said anything at all.

It's better that way. To forget it ever happened.

Liam invites him for beer, for shooting practice planetside, for soccer games on Eos. He finds a quiet, secluded beachfront on Havarl that he takes Scott to, once or twice, and Scott lies back and relaxes.

He can love Liam, and have him--even if he'd rather be closer. It's enough. It's enough to be able to think the words without feeling guilt crushing him down.

There’s still guilt—still the unshakable feeling he's the reason they broke up, even if Sara's already said they wouldn't have made it long term.

But the weightlessness Scott had enjoyed to begin with--that's good.

\-----

"Storm front!" comes Sara's voice, loud over the comms in his helmet. "The vault might've calmed Voeld's weather a little, but the angara say their storms can still fuck shit up!"

"Said it just like that, did they?" Liam calls back. The wind from the storm howls even in their helmets. Scott's freezing, even with his suit's heated interior and the heat lamp nearby.

"There's a pocket of kett," she says, pointing at the map she brings up from her omni-tool, "right over here. Vetra and I will take the shuttle, try to flank them--you two are going to take the Nomad and fight your way through. Good?"

It sounds terrible--Scott can't feel his toes, and the storm front could screw up their connection with SAM. But Liam's already agreeing, and climbing into the driver's seat of the Nomad.

Scott climbs in on the other side, and shoves his feet up to the Nomad's heaters. Liam laughs. "Sorry. Forget you Ryders get cold easily."

"Sara lives for this shit," Scott says, his teeth chattering. "Used to drag me out to make snowmen in subzero temps."

"What are you talking about? She hates cold weather."

Scott snorts, shaking his head. "Unless she changed her mind, sounds like she was using you to cuddle."

"How do I know you're not doing the same?"

He laughs--Liam's warm, he wouldn't say no if he offered. "It's gotta be a lot colder before I'm comfortable with that."

\-----

The thing is, it does get a lot colder. The Nomad stalls out a quarter of a mile from their navpoint, and the heater stops working completely. There are spare blankets and food, but even in his armor and with Liam's share of the blankets, Scott's losing body heat fast.

"Shit," he hears Liam mutter, still trying to raise anyone on the comms and failing. "Scott? How're you feeling?"

Scott shakes his head--he's tired, now, exhausted suddenly when he wasn't not that long ago. He reaches for Liam, the slight movement of his arm setting him off balance. "Like 'm gonna pass out," he says, and Liam curses again. He starts pulling off his own armor, leaving his suit on, and does the same to Scott, tugging on his armor until it gives. "Not how I pictured getting you naked."

"Keep picturing it," Liam says. "You're hypothermic. Gotta warm up your body temp. Sorry to disappoint."

His voice starts to slur when he says, ”Never disappointed with you." Scott watches as he undoes the latches on his armor. Liam's still warm, like an oven, and it's a certain kind of bliss when Liam pulls the blanket back up over them. "I love you," he says, already drifting back off, head on Liam's shoulder, arm across his waist.

"Hey," Liam says, "no passing out on me, all right?"

"Just five minutes?"

But Liam won't let him. "Nope." He runs a hand through Scott's hair, rubs his fingertips into Scott's scalp. Scott hums, pleased.

"No wonder Sara always wanted to cuddle," Scott says. "Lucky woman.” He pauses, rubs his thumb along Liam’s hip. In another universe, he thinks, this must happen all the time. “Sometimes I wanted to be her."

"Why? Pathfinder?"

"She had you." A beat, then Scott groans, the sudden weight of what he’s said hitting him like a rock. "Fuck, sorry. Didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"Not uncomfortable. Just thinking."

Damn Scott and his big mouth. He keeps his eyes closed. "About what?"

"First date," Liam says, resuming carding his fingers through Scott's hair. He's doing a terrible job trying to keep Scott awake. "Thinking I'm gonna take you out to Elaaden."

"Come on, Elaaden's worse than Kadara," Scott says, still trying to get closer. His entire body still shivers, but his teeth aren't chattering anymore. "It is warm, though... maybe somewhere with hot springs?"

"Sounds like Kadara," Liam says. "The vault took care of the sulfur."

"Good. I heard it stunk there..."

"Not very romantic, though." 

Scott hums, halfway asleep. He can hear Liam, feels him shaking him back awake, but he's just so tired, and it’s easier to just drift off.

\-----

It's dark when he wakes back up. Dark enough Scott can open his eyes, anyway, to the soft light of--

He squints. The Tempest?

Shit--he definitely fell asleep on the Nomad, then, waiting for rescue. With Liam.

And speaking of, Liam sits down, next to Scott's feet, a look of concern across his face. Scott glances his way. On his couch, then, in his room on the Tempest. Home. "Feeling better?"

"Aside from a bruised dignity," he says, "Yeah." He's too warm, now, almost sweating. He kicks the blanket off, runs a hand through his hair. "How long were we out there?"

"Hour and a half. Guess you weren't kidding about hating subzero temps."

Scott shrugs. Most of the time in the Nomad is a blur--he remembers feeling cold, and how warm Liam was beside him...

Other than that, nothing.

Liam rests a hand on his knee, then leans forward and presses a hand to his forehead. Still warm. His hands are soft, gentle against Scott’s skin, and it’s all he wants to reach out and touch. ”Could’ve just asked SAM, you know."

"Could've. Kind of wanted to be sure."

Scott swallows. Liam's close enough to kiss, if Scott thought it would be welcomed. "Liam, you don't have to do this. In fact, I'd prefer if you didn’t." They’ve spent weeks, now, since Scott confessed. It’s not dancing around each other if neither of them are acting like it needs to be addressed.

"Do what?"

"Act like there's a possibility of you and me."

"Who says there isn’t?" He swallows, moves to run his hand through Scott’s hair. “We haven’t talked about it.”

“You were in love with my sister,” he says. “Kind of says something about a guy.” But, Scott thinks, while Liam looks at him—concerned, pleased, fond—does it? Scott’s been in love before, both returned and not, and none of it’s exactly ended well for him. The other guy cheated, Scott was kicked out of the Alliance, he left for Andromeda—he’s scared to start again. In his head, loving Liam was little more than a fantasy. A certainty and a known outcome. This is different.

But so was Andromeda. So was the Alliance. Scott’s life hasn’t gotten this far without him taking risks.

“Do you trust me?” Liam asks, and Scott feels his other hand slide along his leg. Calming.

Like he knows his buttons already, and maybe he does. From the second they dropped in Andromeda, Scott knows Liam’s been watching out for him. Sara told him how often Liam checked on him in cryo—before they’d even met.

“Of course I do,” Scott says, his voice quiet. “You know I do.” He wouldn’t have jumped off a bride on Eos if he didn’t.

He smiles. Scott’s entire body comes up to meet him, just like that—curves a hand around the back of Liam’s neck, presses their foreheads together, and waits—for Liam to push him away, to give, to pull back with a laugh.

To kiss him, maybe, if Scott’s going to hope. He wants—fuck, but he wants so much, and right now.

There’s nothing like fireworks when they kiss—nothing akin to electricity or static shock when they kiss, when Liam draws his hand behind Scott to hold against the small of his back. Nothing but familiar, like they’ve done it a million times.

But it’s not because of Sara; Liam’s never been one to compare the two, reminding everyone at every turn the two of them couldn’t be less alike. Sara headstrong and confident, loud and brash where Scott’s more prone to the quiet professionalism, detail-oriented and content to stay in the sidelines.

Liam pulls back, just enough to pull in a few breaths, forehead leaning back against Scott’s. “Hope this doesn’t ruin the mood,” he says, “but Sara and I, we never had sex.”

Long nights cuddled together on the Tempest, Scott knows. Sara’s said as much to him. “If you want my blessing, you have it.”

There’s no trace of guilt in Liam’s eyes. Scott tries to let himself feel something else.

“Good to know,” Scott says, already reaching for the hem of Liam’s shirt. “Ever been with a guy before?”

“Back in training for crisis response,” Liam says. “Nothing like this though.”

“So, slow,” Scott says, pleased by the warmth of Liam’s skin under his hand. “Works for me.”

Liam chuckles, a low, quiet noise that sounds more intimate than Scott would have expected. “It should. Lexi’s already going to yell at me for not letting her know when you woke up.”

Right. He’d forgotten about that. “How’d the rest of the mission go?”

“Complete failure. Sara had to pick the both of us up after taking out the kett base herself. Gil’s working on the Nomad in engineering right now.” Sighing, Liam runs his hand through Scott’s hair again. “You’re good? Feeling okay?”

Tired, maybe, no denying it. He draws his fingers across Liam’s jaw, and leans back against the arm of the couch. “Good. Fantastic.” He doesn’t say it—maybe it’s not all new to Liam, but it’s soon; too soon after Sara, he thinks, but his entire body buzzes with love anyway.

But maybe he should have, because Liam drops on top of him, pressing his hands up and under Scott’s shirt. Maybe he’s imagining it—Scott really doesn’t think so, but he swears he hears Liam whisper the words ‘Love you, too,’ between pressing kisses along his collar.

No guilt, no pain, no gut wrenching terror that how he feels might change what they have. Just a pleasant, familiar feeling that wraps its way around Scott’s spine.

Like coming home, he thinks.

**Author's Note:**

> 'I'm gonna write them falling in love 80 million ways' I said. this... isn't exactly what I had in mind, but you can have it anyway
> 
> @ryderxkosta (previously reyescott) on tumblr, come chat if you're so inclined


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